What Jonesboro is actually like
Jonesboro was laid out in 1843 when the Monroe Railroad reached the area, and was named for town founder Samuel Goode Jones; it was formally incorporated in 1859. It's the site of the Battle of Jonesborough, fought August 31 to September 1, 1864 — the final skirmish of the Atlanta campaign, which led directly to Atlanta's fall. The town was largely destroyed in the fighting, and its earlier courthouse was burned in a Confederate cavalry raid weeks before.
Jonesboro is best known today as the real place that inspired the setting of Margaret Mitchell's Gone with the Wind — the Road to Tara Museum downtown covers that legacy, and Stately Oaks, an 1839 antebellum mansion in Margaret Mitchell Memorial Park, is believed to have helped inspire the fictional Tara. The county seat sits just southeast of Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, which shapes a lot of the local economy, and functions today largely as a bedroom community for Atlanta. The historic core around the courthouse carries official City of Jonesboro Historic District status, with a Historic Preservation Commission that reviews exterior changes — from additions and new construction down to fences and landscaping — before issuing a Certificate of Appropriateness.
Listings in Jonesboro
Getting around
Jonesboro has MARTA bus service but no rail station — Clayton County rejoined MARTA after a 2014 voter referendum, with limited bus service starting in 2015. Route 193 (Morrow/Jonesboro) connects to MARTA's East Point rail station.
Jonesboro FAQ
Is Jonesboro part of Atlanta?
No — it's a separate incorporated city and the county seat of Clayton County, about 18 miles south of downtown Atlanta, though it functions largely as an Atlanta bedroom community today.
Does Jonesboro have MARTA?
Yes, bus service — Clayton County rejoined MARTA after a 2014 referendum, and Route 193 connects Jonesboro to MARTA's East Point rail station. There's no rail station in Jonesboro itself.
What is Jonesboro known for?
Being the real town that inspired the setting of Gone with the Wind (the Road to Tara Museum and Stately Oaks are both here), and the Civil War's Battle of Jonesborough, fought here in 1864.